


Empathy

by WolfInAStar



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy is an empath, Draco can feel people's emotions, Empath, Empathy, Harry and Draco, Harry seeks Draco for help, M/M, Mind Healer Draco Malfoy, Multi, Slight mention of nightmares, slight mention of traumatic events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29559582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfInAStar/pseuds/WolfInAStar
Summary: Draco is a very skilled Mind Healer, but he has a special ability he can't quite understand: He can feel people's emotions. It had never been much of a problem until he reencounters Harry Potter and literally feels his pain.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 9
Kudos: 69





	Empathy

The screams were awful.  
He could _feel_ them echoing all around him.  
He covered his hands with his ears but it was no use because he could _feel_ the pain of everyone who lost a loved one in the Wizarding War.

Draco's eyes opened abruptly and realised that he was the one screaming. He sighed in relief and rose up from his bed.  
He didn't bother in checking the time, but he knew it was way too early for him to be dealing with this.

  
He casted off the Muffliato from his room and headed to his bathroom to get ready for another day at work.  
After the war, Draco finished his studies at Hogwarts and trained to be a Mind Healer. At the beginning, people distrusted him...some still do. But with Potter's testimony, people knew better than to gossip in his face. He didn't care about the rumours because he was pleasantly surprised when Potter testified for him. 

Draco still dressed fashionably, if he could say so himself. But he was way less stiff than before and didn't use gel on his hair anymore. Instead, wore it in a "styled" mess. He really didn't took time to do it anymore, but it was always somewhat decent.

The sun was barely rising when Draco headed out of the house. His co-workers wondered why Draco always arrived so early, specially considering the fact that he _liked_ to do double shifts. _He must be mental_ , they thought; and Draco couldn't agree more, but for an entirely different reason.  
It was better to tire himself out working and helping people than being alone at the manor reliving everyone's pain each night.  
Draco had chosen to be a Mind Healer because he thought he was decent at comprehending people's emotions and the way their brains worked, but there was always this thing his body did every time with all of his patients (and everyone in general): he could _feel_ people's emotions. Whatever they were feeling, Draco felt.

It had never been that much of a problem until the day he reencountered with Harry Potter.

Harry walked into St. Mungo's because he had an appointment with a Mind Healer. No one told him, however, that his Mind Healer would be Draco Malfoy.

Harry stood there shocked.  
Draco could _feel_ it. But he could _feel_ something more. It was physically hurting him.

 _Focus, Draco_. He thought.

-"Hello Potter."- He forced himself to say,  
-"Please, sit down so that we can start."- Draco told him. He himself needed to sit down. He felt suddenly drained and out of energy. Like there was nothing to keep him going.

-"I'm surprised you're my Mind Healer."- Harry commented offhandedly. Draco chuckled.

-"Right? It is a small world.."- Draco followed.

-"Yeah. Have you been well?"- Harry asked, smiling a bit. Draco felt a faint rush of comfiness invading him and he was able to relax a bit.

-"I have, thanks for asking. So, what brings you here?"- Draco asked, and so the session began.

By the end of it, Draco felt like he was going to pass out from how much pain and exhaustion he was feeling.

Never in his years of being a Mind Healer had he ever felt this way. At most, he felt a sadness that made him incapable of double-shifting, but never something that physically hurt him.

-"So, I guess that's it for today. Do you have any questions regarding your treatment and the process that we'll be following?"- Draco asked. Harry shook his head.

-"I understood everything, thank you."- Harry said politely.

-"Alright then. I'll see you next Saturday."- Harry stood up,  
-"I'll walk you out."- Draco added, rising from his chair.

-"You really don't have to."- Harry said, smiling tiredly.

-"It's nothing, really. I do it with all of my patients."- Draco told him truthfully. He did walked all of his patients out.

Harry shrugged  
-"Suit yourself."- Harry stood up and started walking with Draco following him. As soon as Harry walked out, Draco passed out.

**★彡**

When Draco found himself in a hospital bed, he knew immediately what had happened. He also understood something when he _felt_ nothing of what he had felt before: all the physical pain and exhaustion he felt came from Harry.

He wondered how on earth Harry could stand being in so much pain.

-"You really need a day off."- one of his co-workers told him, handing him a glass of water.

-"I'm fine, Rivers. Really."- Draco reassured.

-"Nope. Not falling for this one, Malfoy. You double-shift way too much and you need a break. Take a day off and.."-

-"But I do f.."-

-"Take a day off, dammit. You are needed here, Malfoy. You're the best Mind Healer we've had in decades and if you keep passing out, most likely due to exhaustion, we're screwed. Really. So don't fight me and take the fucking break. Doctors orders."- Rivers silenced him.

Draco opened his mouth but closed it again. He was fine. Rivers simply didn't understand.  
_How could he?_

Not even Draco himself was able to understand what was going on with him. All he knew was that he could _feel_ people's emotions, allowing him to make deeper connections with them and making his treatments more successful. And Harry Bloody Potter was in a hella ton of pain.

-"Fine, I'll go home."- Draco agreed.

-"Thank you."- Rivers said and walked away.  
Draco stood there for a bit, wondering why hadn't he ever been able to feel Harry's pain before. After all, they had spent six years together at Hogwarts.

Realising that he was spacing out, Draco quickly grabbed his things and walked out of the hospital. The sun was setting and Draco was surprised about how much time he had been unconscious.

He felt the warm breeze on his cheeks and inhaled deeply.

 _Peaceful_. That's how he felt.

He decided to go for a coffee at his favourite muggle coffee shop.  
Yeah, Draco Malfoy visited muggle shops. _god forbid_.

He stopped dead in his tracks, however, when he felt an inexplicably huge amount of pain.  
He yelped and grabbed his head with his hands.

-"Draco? Is that you? Are you okay?"- Harry was standing right in front of him.

-"Potter. W-what are you doing in m-muggle London?"- Draco managed to ask.

-"I could ask you the same question. Come on, let's sit somewhere."- Harry told him gently. That comfiness from before invaded Draco again.

-"I'm fine."- Draco insisted, trying to act as normal as he could.

-"You're not."- Harry noted.

They sat on a bench near a park.

-"How's the Auror life treating you?"- Draco asked finally when he calmed down. Harry chuckled.

-"It's not really what I was expecting."- Harry said.

 _Disappointment_.

-"What did you expected?"- Draco asked. Harry sighed.

 _Frustration_.  
That one hurt Draco physically and he had to hold in a gasp of pain.

-"I don't know. Not...this, ugh."- Harry told him, gesturing vaguely with his hands.

 _Disappointment again_.

-"You know that you can change that, right?"- Draco told him, looking him in the eye for the first time since their session earlier that day.

 _Confusion_.

-"What do you mean?"- Harry asked.

-"You can do whatever you want. Whatever makes you happy."- Draco told him earnestly.

Harry smiled.

 _Ah, there it was._  
A positive emotion.

Draco couldn't quite pinpoint what emotion it was exactly, but he knew that he wanted Harry to feel this way more often.  
No matter how much of a prat he was, Harry Potter deserved to be happy. And Draco was going to help him.

**★彡**

Harry found himself opening more and more to Draco as the weeks went by. It was weird.  
By now, Harry had heard and experienced how good Draco was at his job but he _felt_ like there was something more. Something deeper.

Draco was helping Harry in a way that Harry didn't believed it was possible to be helped.  
Ever since Sirius' death, he felt like there was something broken inside of him. Something that he didn't thought it could be repaired. Until he started his sessions with Draco, that is.

Draco was not how he remembered. _At all_.  
This Draco was much more calm and gentle.  
He was genuinely nice to everyone and he spoke with such a soft voice that it actually soothed Harry.

But lately, Harry had noticed that there was something wrong with Draco.

He wouldn't show it, obviously. It took a lot of observation from Harry's part to realise it.  
When Harry talked about painful events or something that frustrated him a lot, it seemed to him that Draco was in pain...like he actually _felt_ Harry's pain, frustration or whatever Harry felt in that moment.

He didn't knew much about Draco, but he found himself feeling more and more intrigued by the blonde with each session that passed.

-"Do you have any plans today?"- Harry found himself asking one day after a session.

Draco eyed him curiously.

-"I was planning on double-shifting."- Draco admitted.

-"Oh."- Harry said with furrowed brows,  
-"Do you do double shifts often?"- 

-"More than I should."- Draco told him,  
-"But I could really have a coffee right now."- he added somewhat unsure.

Harry smiled.  
-"I know the perfect place."-

**★彡**

Harry did have a good taste when it came to muggle cafés. It surprised Draco how good the coffee was and how pretty the place was decorated.

-"So, how's everything with you and Ms. Weasley?"- Draco asked politely.

-"Are we in a session, Mind Healer Malfoy?"- Harry asked amusedly. A pink tint graced Draco's cheeks.

-"I-I'm sorry. I..I was curious. Pardon me if I made you uncomfortable."- Draco told him. Harry was trying so hard to stifle his laughter but he couldn't hold it any longer. He laughed big and brightly and Draco _felt_ it.

Harry was joyful, and therefore, Draco felt joyful as well.

-"Gin and I broke up a few months ago. It just wasn't working... _I_ wasn't working. And she's a nice person, really. She deserves someone better."- Harry told  
him.

-"How did Ronald take that?"- Draco asked, sipping his coffee.

-"He was a bit mad for a few hours, but Ron understands. He said that he loved us both and that if it wasn't working, it simply wasn't. He said we both deserved to be happy."- Harry smiled fondly.

Draco tentatively smiled too.

-"Are you?"- Draco asked.

-"Am I what?"-

-"Happy."- Harry took his time before answering,

-"I think I'm much better than I was before our sessions."- 

-"Fair enough."- Draco said.

-"What about you? Are you dating anyone?"- Harry asked as normally as he could.  
Draco could feel his nervousness.

-"No. I'm not really...good with relationships. Plus, there's not a lot of people who would willingly date an ex-death eater."- Draco said, shrugging.

-"So you're married to your job, then?"- Harry chose to ask instead. Draco nodded, eyes brightening up.

-"I love my job. And I'm really thankful that people trust me despite everything. It wasn't easy, but I'm glad I didn't gave up."- Draco said with sparkling eyes,  
-"Speaking of that, I should really get back."- Draco said, looking down. Harry nodded.

-"Of course, thank you for coming."- Harry told him.

Draco smiled and something inside Harry stirred.  
Draco felt it too and smiled wider.

-"Thank you for the coffee."- Draco said politely and stood up. Harry too, stood up (rather clumsily).

-"Let's do this again sometime."- Harry told him.  
Draco waved and walked away but Harry could see the faint blush on his cheeks.

**★彡**

Draco gasped when Harry came into the hospital. He was in the middle of a session when he felt a great amount of pain that left him breathless.

He excused himself for a moment and headed towards the source of the pain.  
Draco could distinguish that hair anywhere: Harry Potter was covered in blood.

Draco made his way to him.

 _Please, be okay_. He thought.

-"W-what happened?"- Draco asked, concerned.  
Doctors surrounded Harry in no time and Draco could feel how overwhelmed Harry felt.

-"Draco."- Harry whimpered helplessly.

-"Don't touch him!"- Draco exclaimed harsher than he had intended to. Everyone looked at him confusedly and Draco couldn't stand all those emotions at once.

-"S-surrounding Mr. Potter won't help him. Dr. Rivers and I will examine him. Everyone else get back to work."- Draco said as firmly as he could.

Rivers levitated Harry to the ICU, set him on the nearest bed, and started examining him from head to toe as gently as he could.

-"He's in a lot of pain."- Draco said impotently.

-"I'm doing the best I can, Malfoy."- Rivers said and started treating Harry's wounds.

Draco remembered that he still had a patient.

-"You'll take care of him, right?"- Draco asked, still concerned.

Rivers scoffed, slightly offended.  
-"Course I will."- He said confidently.

-"Alright, I have a patient to attend s-so.."-

-"Go on. I'll tell you when you can see him."- Rivers told him, focusing on Harry.

Draco bit his lip but nodded and went back to his office. He found out soon enough that he couldn't concentrate.

More importantly, he couldn't _feel_ anything.  
It was weird because Draco always felt way _more_ than he should, so he should be grateful. But he wasn't. It wasn't comforting at all.

At around 18:00, Draco was awoken from his trance by a knock on his door. He could feel a sense of nervousness but relief at the other side of the door.

He opened the door and Rivers greeted him.

-"He'll be alright. You can see him now."- He told him.

Draco sighed in relief.  
-"Oh, thank Merlin."- He murmured and Rivers escorted him to where Harry was.

Draco felt weird.  
He could feel everyone's emotions but with Harry, it was different. He _felt_ Harry's emotions more intensely.

When they got to the room to which Harry had been moved, Rivers left.  
Draco opened the door but Harry wasn't alone.

Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley were also in the room.

-"S-sorry. I'll come back later."- Draco excused himself.

-"Draco! Nonsense, come in."- Harry encouraged with a small smile. Ginny was holding Harry's right hand and Draco felt something weird on his chest.

-"You're in good company. I'll come by later. Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley, Ronald."- He greeted politely and walked out of the room.

-"Why do _you_ get _'Ms. Weasley_ ' and I get ' _Ronald_ '?"- He heard Ron asking as he closed the door. Draco dared to chuckle despite his feelings.

**★彡**

Draco visited Harry the next morning. The latter was eating breakfast.

-"Woah, slow down Potter. Your food isn't going anywhere."- He joked. Harry stuck out his tongue and kept eating.

-"Why did you left yesterday?"- Harry asked. Draco sat in a chair near Harry's bed and was relieved to feel that Harry felt better.

-"Uh..I just didn't think your friends would appreciate my presence."- Draco shrugged offhandedly.

-"Bollocks. I've only told them good things about you."- Harry admitted.

-"Oh?"-

-"Shut up."- Harry hid a smile, finishing his breakfast instead. Draco laughed.

-"You should be more careful though, Potter."- Draco advised.

-"Harry."- Harry corrected. Draco smiled.

-"Harry."-

**★彡**

-"You got the D, then?"- Blaise asked him. Draco groaned.

-"You are _literally_ impossible. He's my patient! That...that wouldn't be ethical."- Draco said.

-"Bitch, what are you? 50? You need dick."- Pansy said, sipping her firewhiskey.

Draco scoffed.

-"I agree. You really need to get laid. Have you seen yourself lately? You're overworking again."- Blaise said, gently carresing Draco's cheek.

-"Facts!"- Pansy followed.

Draco blushed and pushed away Blaise's hand.

-"I swear I'm never telling you both anything again. He's still my patient!"-

-"You don't go out on coffee dates with your patients."- Blaise pointed out.

-"Don't remind me. I already feel bad about it!"- Draco sighed and hid his face on his hands.

-"Draco, I love you but you're full of shit. You like Potter, he obviously likes you back. You're both stressed. Woman up and cut the sexual tension."- Pansy told him.

-"It's not..I..-He's not interested in me, okay?"- Draco told them defensively, gulping all of his butterbeer and Pansy's firewhiskey. Blaise shot him an amused glance.

-"Hey! You're paying for that!"- Pansy exclaimed.

-"Yeah, yeah."- Draco dismissed.

-"Draco, are you drunk enough?"- Blaise asked. Draco looked at him confusedly.

-"Why do you ask?"-

-"Because if you're not, you're gonna need it. Potter is coming right this way."- Blaise announced in between laughs.

-"Of fucking course. He's everywhere! Gimme that."- Draco murmured, gesturing with his hands dramatically and grabbing Blaise's drink.

Sure enough, Draco felt a sudden rush of giddiness that didn't came neither from him nor his friends.

-"Hi Draco. Parkinson, Zabini."- Harry greeted from behind Draco. Pansy nodded politely and Blaise waved happily.

Draco thought that maybe if he ignored Harry long enough he would just leave.

-"Would you like to join us, Potter?"- Blaise invited politely. Draco sneered and Blaise coughed a laugh.

-"Um..no, thank you. I'm here with my friends, actually. I just wanted to say hi."- Harry explained a bit embarrassed.

Still refusing to turn and face Harry, and before he could think any better, Draco said:  
-"You did. Now you should go."-

Pansy spat her drink and coughed.

-"I'm guh-gonna..I'll just..-yeah."- She said quickly, pointing at the bar with her fingers. She stood up and stumbled towards it.

Blaised raised his brows amusedly and stood up.

-"I'm gonna go help her."- He announced.

-"Blaise, don't you.."-

-"Oh, you bet I'm gonna. It's all about the D, Draco."- Blaise smirked and winked at him before following Pansy.

-"I'm gonna murder them both in their sleep."- Draco mumbled. Harry sat in Blaise's place.

-"So.."- Harry started.

-"So?"- Draco asked a little too harshly. Harry chuckled.

-"This sounds more like the Draco I used to know."- Harry commented.

-"Excuse you, I'm a delight."- Draco rolled his eyes. Harry smirked.

-"Yeah, I think you're being delusional."- Harry said coolly. Draco wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face.

-"Right."- Draco grabbed what was left of Blaise's drink and took a sip.

-"You're dressing differently."- Harry noticed. Draco usually wore a grey uniform, but tonight he was wearing tight, black pants and a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt. Draco was usually self-conscious about the Dark Mark, but tonight he had the sleeves rolled up, exposing his arms and the top buttons of his shirt were undone.

Draco snorted.

-"It's not like I'm gonna wear my uniform to a bar."- 

Harry shrugged.

-"Why are you here, Potter?"- Draco asked.

-"Come on, can't I greet a friend?"- Harry asked. Draco snorted.

-"We're friends now?"- He asked incredulously .

-"Course we are, you prat."- Harry was flushed.

 _Nervous? Why are you nervous?_ Draco thought.

They remained in an awkward silence. Draco focused on the music.

He fucking _loved_ that song.  
Pansy and Blaise came back with more drinks, eyeing Draco knowingly.

-"You know Potter, this is one of Draco's favourite songs. Why don't you take him out for a dance?"- Pansy suggested. Draco choked on Blaise's drink. His throat was burning and his heart was beating way too fast.

-"P-Pansy!"- He gave his friend flustered glare and then turned to Harry,  
-"You don't have to."-

-"Pity, I love dancing."- Harry sighed with fake disappointment and a smirk on his face. Draco glared at him as well and Harry laughed, raising his hands in surrender.

-"It's not appropriate."- Draco said, feeling slightly disappointed at his own words.

-"How so?"- Harry asked curiously.

-"You...you are my patient."- Draco said nervously. Harry grabbed his hand.

-"Come on! Don't be a stiff."- He told him and pulled him to the dance floor anyways.

-"You really need to work on your insults, Potter."- Draco told him.

-"Harry."- Harry corrected, grabbing Draco's waist and pulling him closer.

-"W-What about your friends?"- Draco asked.

 _Sweet Merlin! You better take your hands off of my waist Potter or_ _so help me_. Draco thought.

-"What about them?"- Harry asked back.

-"Won't they be mad that you ditched them?"-

-"I'm always third-wheeling Hermione and Ron. I'm sure they won't mind."-

Harry was getting dangerously close and Draco couldn't think properly. He was feeling too much. Both, Harry's emotions and his own.

Suddenly, he started feeling everyone else's emotions.  
He whimpered.

-"Draco, what's going on?"- Harry asked concerned.

 _Panic_. Harry's? No. His own.  
Draco kneeled and covered his ears with his hands.  
Everyone's emotions were too much for him to deal with all at once. They all felt blurry and it made Draco dizzy.

-"S-stop."- Draco pleaded. Harry was kneeling with him.

-"Draco, talk to me."-

Draco was crying.

-"Make it stop."- he murmured. Harry pulled Draco closer to him but didn't hug him.

-"Make what stop, Draco?"- Harry asked, frantically. He didn't knew what to do and he couldn't see Blaise or Pansy. Draco sobbed harder and Harry couldn't help pulling him into a hug.

-"G-get me out of here."- Draco managed to say, gripping Harry's shirt tightly.

Harry didn't need to be told twice and Apparated them both in Grimmauld Place.

**★彡**

-"What happened back there?"- Harry asked, once Draco had calmed down and Harry had given him a cup of tea.

Draco shook his head and sighed.

-"Sorry you had to see that. I'm fine."- Draco told him.

-"You're not Draco. You know you're not, so for once don't be a stubborn prat and tell me what's wrong."- Harry told him. Draco stared at him and sighed.

-"I...don't know how or why but I can _feel_ people's emotions. It got worse when my mother died. I don't know how to tune people's emotions out, but I do know how to focus on just one person's emotions and feel those deeper and stronger for a bit, which is why I can work effectively with my patients."- Draco left out the fact that he could feel Harry's emotions more intensely because that just seemed a bit too much to reveal.

-"So yeah. No one but Blaise and Pansy know, so I'd appreciate if you could keep this to yourself."- Draco said. Harry nodded understandingly.

-"What about me? Can you feel my emotions?"- Harry asked. Draco nodded.

-"What am I feeling right now!?"- Harry asked excitedly, grabbing Draco's hands.

-"E-excitement."- Draco chuckled. Harry smiled.  
Draco felt something else.

_Attraction._  
_Affection._

He cleared his throat, trying to focus on the fire place in front of them because he felt like he was invading Harry's privacy.

-"Why didn't you tell me?"- Harry asked.

-"Well, I didn't knew we were friends and it's not something I just casually tell people. They'll probably think The Dark Lord gave me this ability or something completely bonkers."- Draco ranted.

-"That's stupid."- Harry told him.

-"Some people are."- Draco shot back, -"You, for example."- He teased.

Harry pushed him jokingly and Draco chuckled.

-"Prat."-

Draco felt nostalgic.  
That certainly didn't came from him.

-"Harry?"- Harry hummed in response. Draco turned to face him and crossed his legs.  
-"What's going on in there?"- He said, touching Harry's forehead.

Harry shook his head. Draco traced his scar gently with his index finger and Harry closed his eyes, leaning in.

Draco let out a shaky breath.  
_Let me be selfish for a little bit_. He thought.  
_I'll do what's right and ethical later._

But Harry beat him to it and kissed him.

**★彡**

-"You are an Empath."- Hermione told him.

Draco froze.

-"I'm sorry, what?"- Draco asked, not quite looking at her. He was too focused glaring at Harry. Harry looked at him guiltily.

-"You are an Empath. You can feel people's emotions as your own. When Harry told me about it, I knew I had read something about that. Nowadays, they are rarer than Metaphormagi so it's quite stunning that you have this ability."- Hermione explained with wonder.

Draco had pretty much ditched his job to come to Harry's office at the Ministry thinking that Merlin-knows-what had happened to him just to find out that Harry had told Hermione _his_ secret.

-"Thank you for the information, Ms. Granger."- He said politely and nodded gracefully.

-"Could you give us a moment, 'Mione?"- Harry asked.

-"Oh! Yes, of course. If you want or need to know anything else, don't hesitate to come to me, Draco."- Hermione told him.  
Draco smiled weakly.

-"I will. Thank you."-

As soon as Hermione left the door, Draco's face darkened.

-"I'm sorry."- Harry apologised automatically.

Draco simply turned and headed towards the door.

Harry stood up at the speed of light and grabbed his arm.

-"Draco, don't do t.."- Draco pulled away, ignoring the pain in his chest coming from both Harry and himself.

-"I trusted you with my deepest secret. You should've asked."- Draco said softly. The kind of soft that broke Harry.

-"I know, I just wanted to help."- Harry explained. Draco nodded.

-"I should thank you, then? It wasn't your secret to tell."- Draco told him. Harry's temper was rising. He only tried to help. Draco could felt his anger and flinched a bit. He didn't like how it felt when Haryy was angry.

-"Why are you so angry, though? It's not like Hermione's gonna tell."-

-"I'm sure Granger is very capable of keeping a secret and not betraying people's trust, unlike you."- Draco said and left Harry's office.

**★彡**

-"Where is he?"- Harry asked. Blaise and Pansy exchanged looks before looking back at Harry.

-"He's been double-shifting every day since your little fight."- Blaise told him. Pansy sipped her butterbeer.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut.  
-"That's..-it's been two weeks! Is he crazy!? Why didn't any of you stop him?"-

-"If you think that Draco's going to listen to us, Potter, then you're wrong. And he's not a child. Nights are always hard for him; he prefers it this way and we respect his choices."- Pansy shrugged solemnly.

-"But he's hurting himself! What do you even mean?"- Harry asked.

Pansy laughed humourlessly.  
-"He has nightmares. He relives the day after the Wizarding War every night. He can _feel_ everyone's pain in his dreams. It physically hurts him. Just like your negative feelings do."- Pansy explained, chugging the rest of her butterbeer.

Harry was astonished. Blaise nodded.

Harry Apparated in St. Mungo's and asked to see Draco as politely as he could, considering he was fucking pissed and he didn't even knew why.

Draco came out a few minutes later and Harry couldn't contain the gasp that escaped from his lips. He looked even paler than he usually did, his hair was disheveled, he had dark circles under his eyes and..-

-"Are you even eating?"- Harry blurted before he could stop himself. Draco's reaction told Harry that he wasn't.

Draco cleared his throat.  
-"Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Potter?"- He asked.

-"May I speak to you alone?"- Harry asked. Draco shrugged.

-"If you must."- He guided Harry to his office and closed the door.

Harry casted a Muffliato before saying,  
-"What the fuck, Draco!?"-

Draco shrugged.

-"I'm fine."- He said.

Harry was angry. Draco could feel it. Before he knew it though, Harry was kissing him.  
It wasn't soft and sweet.  
It was desperate and angry. As if Harry was pouring everything he couldn't say through words in the kiss.  
Draco kissed back just as angrily because whom the _fuck_ did Harry thought he was? He had betrayed his trust.  
And Draco couldn't stay away, no matter how hard he tried.

Harry pulled away first, gasping for air. Draco's lower lip was red and Harry gently touch it with his fingers.

-"Don't do this to yourself."- He whispered, pressing his forehead against Draco's.

-"You betrayed my trust."- Draco whispered back. He was tired.  
They both were.

-"I know. Come with me, you'll rest for a bit."-

Draco was tempted but,  
-"I have work to do."-

-"Take a break. You need it."- Harry told him. Draco stood there, just appreciating Harry's emotions for a bit.

Harry genuinely cared for Draco.  
Draco could feel that.

Finally, Draco nodded.

After telling his secretary to cancel all of his appointments for the night and to reschedule them (of course), Harry Apparated them in Grimmauld Place.

Draco fell to his knees.  
Apparating took more strength than he had at the moment. Harry gently carried him to his room and tucked him in his bed.

-"This doesn't mean I trust you."- Draco muttered sleepily.

Harry sighed.

-"I know."-

-"That's a lie."- Harry smiled.

-"I know."-

With the little consciousness Draco had left, he managed to open his eyes just enough to see Harry's beautiful green ones.

-"Stay?"- He asked shyly. Harry immediately snuggled close to Draco and the latter rested his head on Harry's chest.  
Harry stroked his hair gently.

-"You can rest now, Draco."- that was the last thing he heard Harry said before falling asleep.

Draco smiled and he didn't had nightmares that day.


End file.
